George Zimmerman has not spoken since the fatal shooting that claimed Trayvon Martin's life on Feb. 26.

In a WESH-TV exclusive, a close family friend of Zimmerman talked about the incident Wednesday.

Advertisement

The man described the Zimmerman family as impressive, and even wrote Zimmerman a recommendation letter when he had hopes of joining law enforcement.

It's now front page news in Manassas, Va., that the man at the center of the shooting death of unarmed teen Martin is a local resident and a 2001 graduate of Osbourn High School.

"They are an impressive family. They really were," George Kay said.

George and Kay Hall lived across the street from the Zimmerman family for more than two decades.

The retired minister said Zimmermans' mother was fluent in Spanish and worked for Prince William County government for 28 years before retiring.

Her son was active in the Catholic church. The family moved to Florida after Zimmerman's graduation.

Years later, Zimmerman returned to the Hall home with a request.

"He came over and asked me, 'Mr. Hall, do you mind if I ask you to give me a recommendation for the police departments, so they will know who I am and what I am and what you think about me?' And I wrote a very positive because he was a very positive guy in my eyes," said Kay.

Hall said Zimmerman was applying either to Virginia State Police or Prince William County.

At any rate, Hall said Zimmerman stayed in Florida, becoming a neighborhood watch captain who confronted and fatally shot Martin.

"I thought this is some other guy that doesn't know how to control himself, carrying a weapon which maybe he shouldn't have been doing if that's the mentality he's got," Kay said.

Zimmerman's ex-fiancee, Veronica Zuazo, filed for a petition for an injunction, claiming domestic violence in 2005.

Zuazo said Zimmerman was abusive, and she said the pair apparently got into an altercation over a cellphone which led to a shoving match.

She said her dog bit Zimmerman in the face.

However, the very next day, Zimmerman filed his own complaint, saying Zuazo assaulted him when he tried to get his cellphone back.